Oval office

BORIS Johnson was dubbed the British Donald Trump “with better hair” by Barack Obama after a row over a bust of Winston Churchill. An explosive memoir about the former President’s time in office details his disastrous trip to the UK during the Brexit referendum. The account is revealed in the World as It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House by Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser and speechwriter for Mr Obama. He said the trip in April 2016 was “hastily arranged”, and the US leader said Britain would be “at the back of the queue” for a trade deal after Brexit, prompting widespread criticism. Mr Rhodes said then-Prime Minister David Cameron’s chief of staff Ed Llewellyn emailed him begging for a presidential visit in the run-up to the 2016 referendum. He pointed out that the polls were finely balanced and Mr Obama had an approval rating in the UK of more than 70 per cent. An extract from the book reads: “It was unusual to … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson dubbed Donald Trump ‘with better hair’ by Barack Obama after row over bust of Winston Churchill in Oval Office

Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page By Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Maggie Haberman New York Times May 29, 2018 WASHINGTON — As a candidate, Donald Trump claimed that the US government had known in advance about the Sept. 11 attacks. He hinted that Antonin Scalia, a Supreme Court justice who died in his sleep two years ago, had been murdered.And for years, Trump pushed the notion that President Obama had been born in Kenya rather than Honolulu, making him ineligible for the presidency.None of that was true. Advertisement Last week, Trump promoted new, unconfirmed accusations to suit his political narrative: that a “criminal deep state” element within Obama’s government planted a spy deep inside his presidential campaign to help his rival, Hillary Clinton, win — a scheme he branded “Spygate.” Get Ground Game in your inbox: Daily updates and analysis on … [Read more...] about Trump pulls conspiracy theories from the fringes to the Oval Office

President Trump promised to back up Ronny Jackson, his embattled nominee to run the Department of Veterans Affairs, in an Oval Office meeting Tuesday, according to two senior administration sources directly involved in the process. Jackson said he wanted to get a chance to defend himself in public — meaning, in a hearing. Jackson is accused of improperly dispensing drugs, creating a hostile work environment and drinking on duty, allegations first reported by CBS News and allegations the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee says were brought forward by 20 current and retired military personnel. But Jackson believes he has a story to tell, and he wants the opportunity. He believes he can advocate for Mr. Trump's agenda at the VA and have the president's direct backing to name the bureaucracy — and some administration officials believe that. Still, problems remain. Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, is not … [Read more...] about Trump promised to back up embattled Ronny Jackson in Oval Office meeting

Last Updated Apr 24, 2018 1:19 PM EDT President Trump stopped in the middle Oval Office comments alongside French President Emmanuel Macron to brush what Mr. Trump said was a "little piece of dandruff" off Macron's suit."We have a very special relationship, in fact I'll get that little piece of dandruff off," the president said, according to pool reporters present in the room. "We have to make him perfect — he is perfect." Seemingly caught off guard at first by the gesture, Macron soon smiled and laughed at the interaction. Tuesday marks Macron's second day of meetings at the White House, as the two discuss everything from the Iran nuclear deal, to the Paris climate accord, to trade issues. The two held Oval Office and Cabinet meetings Tuesday morning, a joint press conference Tuesday afternoon, and will dine at the first state dinner Mr. Trump has held since taking office. On Monday, the two visited Mount Vernon, the nearby home of America's first president, George … [Read more...] about Trump brushes “dandruff” off Macron in Oval Office

The White House painted ex-FBI Director James Comey as a power hungry bureaucrat who relished private meetings with President Trump. “This man, Jim Comey, loves to be within the proximity of power and having dinner alone with the President,” Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the President, said on ABC News’ “Good Morning America.” “He loved being alone in the Oval Office, and wanted a piece of it.” Comey previously expressed concern about being left alone with the commander-in-chief during his first months in office — reportedly going as far as trying to blend in with the White House curtains so Trump wouldn’t spot him. She lambasted Comey’s leadership of the bureau, particularly over the probe into Hillary Clinton’s emails. James Comey’s wife was ‘devastated’ when Hillary Clinton lost “This guy swung an election,” Conway said. “He thought the wrong … [Read more...] about Kellyanne Conway fires back that James Comey ‘loved being alone in the Oval Office’ with Trump